OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (AP):

VAUGHN TAYLOR is back at Oakmont, relieved that it's only the United States Open.

There has been widespread talk of gloom and doom in recent weeks, from defending champion Geoff Ogilvy reportedly losing seven balls in his round of 85 to Vijay Singh and a host of others saying they would not be surprised if the winner finished 10 shots over par.

Oakmont is reputed to be the toughest golf course in America, but as it prepares to host its record eighth U.S. Open, there is another part of the mystique that players should keep in mind.

If you think it's tough now, come back in July.

Toughest test in golf

"The members say we don't have to do anything except maybe make it slightly easier," said Mike Davis, the U.S. Golf Association's senior director of rules and competition who sets up the course for the toughest test in golf.

Taylor - a ninth-year pro - can attest to that.

He hasn't played in the U.S. Open since 1998, when he was spooked by the narrow fairways and high rough. But he has been to Oakmont twice in the past few years to play a corporate outing, and the greens were unlike any he has played.

Best tour

"I had two four-putts and three three-putts, and I putted pretty good that day," said Taylor, one of the best on the U.S. PGA Tour. "The greens are slower now than they usually are."

Monday was the first day of practice for the U.S. Open, the first chance for many to see what the fuss is all about. Along with some of the fastest greens anywhere, the rough is as punishing as ever - so punishing Phil Mickelson attributes his left wrist injury to chipping countless times out of the rough during his marathon practice rounds two weeks ago.

Mickelson had his wrist tightly wrapped on Monday and did not play a practice round.

He plans to play his first round since he withdrew after 11 holes at the Memorial.

Tiger Woods started on the back nine and played 18 holes and offered this prognosis: "I broke 100."

But there have been few complaints. They say it is tough but fair, but they have yet to put pencil to scorecard.

"It is stifling difficult, to the point of walking off and feeling like you've got 12 rounds with Ali," Paul Goydos said.

He tied for 44th in 1994, the last time the U.S. Open was held at Oakmont, and it is one of his favourite U.S. Open courses. Beyond the famous Church Pew bunkers and frightening fast greens, what intrigues Goydos is the membership, specifically why anyone would want to belong to a club that has an incredibly difficult course.

Interesting mentality

"They have an interesting mentality," he said. "I think they're all insane. These people must like losing balls and shooting 100."

But one way Goydos measures what is a great golf course is how many times it has held the U.S. Open, and he attributes Oakmont's spot in the rotation to a membership that loves seeing how the best players in the world can handle their course.

"The members here relish the opportunity," he said. "They can't wait to have you here. You can feel how excited they are in the clubhouse. They're like a bunch of peacocks showing off their feathers."

Taylor grew up and still lives in Augusta, Georgia, home to Augusta National and the U.S. Masters, but he was asked whether Oakmont was a club he would like to join if he lived here.

"I don't know if I could play here every day," Taylor said. "This course just beats you up."The Open begins tomorrow.